JKGAD on path of Good Governance

SRINAGAR : The Jammu and Kashmir General Administration Department (JKGAD) in recent months has revolutionised the system of office culture in Jammu and Kashmir by introducing various e-Governance initiatives, bringing efficiency in disposal of work here.

With the adoption of e-Office, a Simplified, Responsive, Effective and Transparent paperless working culture in most of the Government offices of Jammu and Kashmir was established. The e-Office system is providing a convenient way for officials to access information related to every aspect of their working and knowledge sharing by presenting a single gateway to information and services.

The e-Office is helping government departments to improve the public service delivery by eliminating the delay of files in offices. The speed and efficiency of file disposal has not only increased by introduction of e-Office but timely and quicker decisions on various matters of public importance is also being achieved by it.

Moreover, to bring efficiency in the work of officers of J&K Administration, the GAD also introduced the Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window (SPARROW) system to write and track Annual Performance Reports (APRs) of these officers.

The main purpose of introducing this unique system is to facilitate timely filling of APRs electronically in a way that is not only user friendly but also allows to fill the details from anywhere anytime as per the convenience of officers. The system is also expected to reduce delays in submission of completely filled APRs.

Apart from this, the department also launched Electronic Vigilance Clearance System. The system furnishes vigilance clearances through electronic/online mode in favour of all the Government employees as and when they require during their service career. The employees are also informed about the status of their applications through email/SMS by this system.

In order to establish citizen friendly-people centric governance, the JKGAD also launched the ‘Satark Nagrik App’ through which any ordinary citizen can lodge complaint with the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) online. The mobile application has been developed with a purpose to facilitate seamless flow of information about corruption and enable citizens to submit their grievances with ease and mobility.

Keeping its commitment of institutionalising corruption free administration, the JKGAD launched online portal for e-filing of property returns (PRS-Portal). The new portal will facilitate access and monitoring of the property details of all the employees besides facilitate the employees in obtaining vigilance clearances. The portal will also assist the ACB in investigating the cases of disproportionate assets expeditiously against corrupt employees.

Apart from these unique e-governance reforms, the JKGAD also introduced several Administrative and Human Resource Management reforms for improving the governance and administrative set up in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. More powers have been delegated to Divisional Commissioners/Deputy Commissioners/Sub-Divisional Magistrates for effective control over their subordinates.

To accelerate the path of development across J&K and to organise Public Outreach Programmes on regular basis, Administrative Secretaries have been allocated districts to monitor development schemes. The Administrative Secretaries also interact with public in these districts during these outreach programmes to get first hand appraisal of developmental works.

In order to fill up the vacant posts in departments, the JKGAD has initiated the process of fast track recruitment after identification of around twenty five thousand vacant posts across various departments. Around 54 Recruitment Rules of various departments/services have been finalized, besides 98 different rules have been amended/issued afresh to remove the ambiguity/anomaly due to reorganization.

To motivate the officers and officials at various levels, Departmental Promotion Committees were held in respect of various services manned by the GAD, resulting in promotion of around 500 Gazetted and 120 Non-Gazetted Staff members besides promotion of around 1000 officers of JKAS at different levels has also been done in recent months. A decade long seniority dispute amongst JKAS officers has also been settled with the issuance of revised seniority list in April, 2021 followed by substantive promotion of officers.

Keeping the officers and officials updated with latest introduction of technologies in office work and in order to hone their skills, around 2500 officials were imparted training at various Institutions, including J&K IMPARD. Also, online training was imparted to around 300 CPIO’s through J&K IMPARD regarding RTI, Act 2005.

Notably, in a first of its kind initiative, this year around 60 senior officers of JKAS were deputed to National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), GoI for capacity building training programme.

To monitor the progress of disposal of public grievances/complaints received by Lieutenant Governors office, the JKGAD has established Lieutenants Governor’s References Monitoring Cell. So far, 13587 grievances/references have been disposed off by the cell out of 15886 received.

With the advent of new technologies and introduction of more robust office tools for better disposal of work, the JKGAD by virtue of its duties being the nerve center of the administration is evolving on regular basis to elevate the efficiency of governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.